The challenge confronting Africa is to accelerate structural transform

In 1990, only 31 per cent of Africa’s population was urban; by 2035, the figure is projected to reach 49 per cent. Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural areas to urban areas, the decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which each society adapts to this change. It is predominantly the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas.

Most countries are urbanising rapidly amid declining or stagnant industrial growth and low agricultural productivity. In resource-rich countries, natural resource exports and related spending, largely on non-traded services, appear to be driving urban growth and generating “consumption cities”.

The challenge confronting Africa is to accelerate structural transformation by harnessing the rapid urban transition to promote economic diversification, with a special focus on industrialisation that will create jobs, enhance access to basic services and reduce inequality and poverty.

Although the two concepts are sometimes used interchangeably, urbanization should be distinguished from urban growth: urbanization is "the proportion of the total national population living in areas classed as urban", while urban growth refers to "the absolute number of people living in areas classed as urban".

The United Nations projected that half of the world's population lived in urban areas at the end of 2008. It is predicted that by 2050 about 64 per cent of the developing world and 86 per cent of the developed world will be urbanized. That is equivalent to approximately 3 billion urbanites by 2050, much of which will occur in Africa and Asia. Notably, the United Nations has also recently projected that nearly all global population growth from 2017 to 2030 will be by cities, about 1.1 billion new urbanites over the next 10 years.

Urbanization is relevant to a range of disciplines, including urban planning, geography, sociology, architecture, economics, and public health.

THE current rapid urbanisation across the African continent is largely unplanned and potentially catastrophic, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) has stressed.

The remark was made by Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director of Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division at the ECA, during a high-level continental meeting that was held under the theme "Accelerating Progress with Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 in Africa: The local Dimension," which brought together mayors and local authority leaders from around Africa.

The ECA official also stressed that the current "business as usual" scenario of urban planning and management in Africa is threatening sustainable development targets raising the need for sub-national authorities including city leaders, who are critical actors to accelerating the implementation of the two Agendas to be fully engaged in related processes.

Inevitably, the world is rapidly moving towards becoming an urban world, so it is imperative to consider how the urban context shapes sustainable development. The global 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, among other things, encourages member states to conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country-led and country-driven.